Bun in the Oven
by Niki Bogwater
Summary: A series of drabbles in which our favorite Stardew Valley men learn that they're going to be fathers. Updates every Friday!
1. Coffee Break

**A/N: This is self-indulgence gone too far. It started as a cute little writing exercise, then morphed into a six-chapter monstrosity of pointless fluff. There will be multiple Farmer characters with distinct personalities because I don't particularly like writing and reading vague characters, but they will all have the same backstory as the game presents. I will include a brief intro to each Farmer taken from my notes at the beginning of each chapter.**

**Sebastian is my favorite, so he gets to go first. This week's farmer is Laura, who has the distinction of being the only Farmer in this series that I've ever actually played as in game, and is described in my personal notes as follows: Married to Sebastian. Ace fisherwoman. Loves the ocean and all things blue, though she's actually not a strong swimmer. Generally quiet and sweet, but also playful. Loves hugs.**

* * *

Laura approached her husband cautiously, as though he was a particularly skittish hen. He was at the kitchen counter, waiting for the coffee machine's light to go off. He usually had a coffee break at this time, so it was no surprise to find him here. He was also usually in his best mood during a coffee break, yet Laura felt herself walking on eggshells all the same. They had talked about this before, but he had never seemed to lean one way or the other. They hadn't exactly been careful, but they weren't exactly _trying_ for this either. What if his lack of a definitive answer had been his way of telling her that he didn't want this? What was she supposed to do then?

The light on the coffee maker went off and the machine chirped out a little _ding. _Sebastian pulled a mug out of the cupboard. Laura wrung her hands and chewed her lip for a moment before speaking up. It was now or never. "Hey, Seb?"

"Hmm?" he hummed, inclining his head in her direction while he poured hot coffee into his mug.

"Is this a good time?"

"A good time for what?" he asked, bringing his mug to his lips.

"To...To tell you that I'm pregnant."

Sebastian choked on his coffee. He hastily put his mug down to avoid sloshing it as he coughed violently, leaning against the counter for support. Laura thumped him on the back until he caught his breath.

"S-say that again?" he sputtered, turning to stare at her with watering eyes.

"I'm pregnant," she reiterated.

"Y-you mean we're...You're going to have a...a b-baby?" he uttered rather stupidly.

"Yes, I believe that's what 'pregnant' means." There was a long pause, as he continued to gape at her. Laura shifted nervously. "...Sebastian? H-hey... Say something!"

Suddenly, Sebastian's hand went out and grasped her arm, tugging her forward so quickly that she flopped rather clumsily against his chest. He wrapped both of his arms around her and squeezed her tighter than he ever had before.

"I love you," he mumbled against her shoulder. "I love you so much." Laura melted into his embrace and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"So you're happy?" she asked.

"Happy...? Happy doesn't even begin to... I don't think there's even a word for what I'm feeling. A _baby, _Laura. We're going to have a baby. I'm going to be a father. I didn't...I didn't even think that was possible. I didn't think _any _of this was possible." He squeezed her again. "...But it is. And it's because of you. Thank you."

"You helped," Laura reminded him, her voice muffled in his hoodie. He barked out a breathless laugh.

"That's putting it generously. It's not like I have the most difficult of responsibilities."

"I couldn't do any of this without you, Sebastian," she told him, leaning back to look him in the eye. "You're always here for me when I need you. And I'm going to need you now more than ever."

"Well," he replied with a crooked smile. "I don't exactly have anywhere else to be." He surprised her when he leaned in for a kiss. While he was not averse to such gestures of affection, it was almost always Laura who initiated. "And to be honest," he murmured as he pulled back. "That's just the way I want it."


	2. Thrills

**A/N: Sam's chapter is the shortest, because you know our beautiful golden sun-child is not good at creating lengthy drama. He almost won the title of "Most Fun Reaction," but ended up losing by a hair to Elliot. So...stay tuned for Elliot's chapter coming in a couple of weeks. Today's farmer is Lucy, and according to my notes she is: ****Married to Sam. Loves flowers and dancing. Very playful and upbeat. Goes with the flow and is always up for anything. Not inclined to worry about much.**

* * *

"WOO-HOO!" Lucy crowed. The scenery whipped by below her in a green blur. This beat tilling fields any day. She wasn't exactly sure what possessed her to want to go ziplining all of a sudden, but she was glad she had followed the urge without question. The zipline just outside of Zuzu City was supposed to be one of the best in the Ferngill Republic. She could believe that now. She felt her stomach leap with a thrill as she hit the ground running, sprinting the last few feet of the line. The instructor slipped her out of the harness with practiced ease, and she bounced off to the side to wait for her husband.

"GANGWAY!" Sam bellowed as he came flying down after her a minute later. Watching his cheeks flush with excitement and his face breaking into a grin was almost as thrilling as riding the zipline herself. Lucy loved it when Sam got excited. He had such a youthful exuberance that energized everyone around him. "Aw, man, that was _awesome!_" he gushed as he pulled out of the harness. "I'm so pumped! Hey, what do you say we hit one of Zuzu's clubs on the way home, grab a soda, and go dancing?"

"Aw, sorry babe," Lucy clucked. "But we gotta be home in time to bring in the cows."

"Ah, bummer." He slung an arm around her shoulders as they walked back to the bus stop. "Still, I guess this day's been crazy enough already. What in Yoba's name made you think of ziplining?"

"Just wanted to show my man a good time, I guess." She craned her neck and kissed his cheek.

"Baby, any time spent with you is a good time," Sam laughed as they stopped next to the bus stop sign. "But wow, we really have to do that again sometime. Those were some major thrills."

"Mm-hmm," Lucy agreed. _Baby... _A lightbulb went off in her brain, and she snapped her fingers. "Oh, wow, honey, I completely forgot to tell you! I've got another major thrill for you." She ducked out from under his arm and stood facing him. "I'm pregnant!"

Sam froze, his ice-blue eyes going wide. "Y-you're serious?" he squeaked. "You got a baby in there?"

"Yup!" Lucy bounced on her toes excitedly. "I saw Harvey yesterday, and he said I'm about a month and a half along. I meant to tell you yesterday, but you were at your mom's house all day, and by the time you got home I was busy looking up directions to the ziplining place and I just totally forgot."

"A baby..." Sam breathed, eyes riveted on her stomach. "You've got a baby in there... A real, live person... A real person that we _made_..." He lunged forward and hugged her around the waist, lifting her up and spinning her joyously. There were a few other people waiting by the bus stop, and they sent some bewildered stares their way, but the ecstatic couple didn't care."A _baby, _Luce!" Sam cheered. "A real baby! This is awesome!" He put her down abruptly with a gasp of realization. "This...This changes everything! Our whole lives are going to be different now."

"Well...yeah," Lucy conceded a bit nervously. "Is that... Is that okay?"

"'Okay?' It's _brilliant! _We're going to be parents! I'll have someone to keep me company while you work, and when they get older, we can take them ziplining, and then... Oh my gosh!" he gasped. "Do you think there could be more than one?"

"Harvey says we won't know until I have the ultrasound. But I wouldn't mind having two. Or maybe three, some day."

"We gotta have at least three," Sam decided. "Then we can start a band. You can be lead vocalist." She laughed and he smothered her in another hug. Then, with all the eyes of the bus stop now staring at him quizzically, Sam knelt down in front of his wife, and gently placed his hands on her sides. "Hey, little guy," he whispered breathlessly. "I don't really know you yet, but I'm glad you're coming. Listen, there's no rush or anything, but I want you to know that when you get here, you're going to have the time of your life. So I hope you're getting pumped," He glanced up at Lucy with a grin. "'Cause there are some major thrills in store for you."


	3. Beyond Belief

**A/N: Here's a smidge of angst to balance out all the fluff. This one's actually long enough to be classified as a oneshot, rather than a drabble. This week's farmer is Aliyah: Married to Shane. Stubborn and practical, but also sensitive. Understands the nature of depression, as she suffered from it before moving to the valley. Straightforward and blunt. Loves animals.**

* * *

Shane thought his life was pretty okay. Actually, it was downright fantastic if you compared it to what it was like before he met Aliyah. Sure, he had bad days where his dark thoughts kept him bound to the couch in front of the tv and he dipped back into old habits, but his wife was always there to "shake him back out again." Her words, not his. She let him have his moods, his needs, his flaws, but she always let him know if he ever went too far. He didn't have to worry about becoming a burden to her. She liked taking care of him, and he liked being taken care of, so all in all, their relationship was a good one. He couldn't think of anything he'd change about it, or about the life they led together.

Unfortunately for him, change isn't always something you invite willingly into your life.

Aliyah stood in front of him, her demeanor strong and self-assured, while he felt his knees turning to jelly.

"You're... You're _what?_" he gasped, reaching for the kitchen counter to support himself.

"I'm pregnant," she said again. There was no levity in her voice, no indication that this was a joke. Then again, Shane knew his wife well enough to know that she couldn't make a joke about _anything, _let alone something this serious. Not unless she was severely intoxicated.

"Oh Yoba," Shane breathed, leaning heavily against the counter. He ran his hand down the front of his face. "Oh, Yoba this is..." He trailed off, glancing back up at Aliyah. She was still looking at him with that stern expectation he had come to know so well. She didn't give him that look too often, but he both loved and hated it when she did. It meant she was counting on him to man up and do the right thing.

"This is fine," Aliyah told him when it became clear that he could not finish his sentence. "This is normal. Most couples our age have already had a child by now."

"Yeah, but we're not most couples!" Shane burst out. "One of us is a full-time farmer who barely has time to eat, and the other is a complete mess. We can't take care of a _baby!_" He regretted the words the moment they were out of his mouth. Aliyah's eyes flashed with hurt, before hardening into resolution.

"Well, we are," she told him bluntly. "Whether _you_ like it or not." Shane winced. She had said _you, _not _we. _She already knew how she felt. She wanted this baby. And after everything she'd done for him, he had no right to demand that she give it up.

"I...I need some air," he mumbled. He stumbled out of the kitchen, grabbing his jacket from the back of the couch, and bolted out the front door. He found himself treading the familiar path to Cindersap Forest, where he stopped by the river. He stared at his reflection in the water, a disheveled, unshaven wreck, and felt like he was going to be sick. He couldn't be a father. He couldn't even control his own life. If it weren't for that woman back on the farm, he might be dead. How was he supposed to take responsibility for the life of an innocent child? He would ruin them. That was just who he was. He messed everything up, and the only reason he had found even a sliver of happiness was because he had a wife who was strong enough to get it for the both of them.

He _hated _that he felt this way. Any husband who was even half worthy of such an amazing woman would have scooped her up and shouted with joy, would have promised his time and support. But Shane didn't do that. He did the first thing that came naturally to him, and that was running away. Yoba, he was so disgusting, it was a marvel that nobody cringed at the sight of him.

"Shane?" The sound of his name pulled him from his musings, and he whirled around, terrified of finding his wife standing there, preparing to tell him the words he had been hearing in his nightmares ever since he married her. But it was only Marnie, a bag of groceries under her arm and a look of motherly concern on her face. "What are you doing out here?"

"Th-thinking," he stammered. "I was just thinking." Marnie's brow furrowed.

"Is something wrong?" she asked slowly. _Everything, _he wanted to say. _Everything about me is wrong._

"Aliyah's pregnant," he blurted before he could stop himself. There was a brief flash of joy on Marnie's face, but it quickly melted back into concern.

"I see," she said quietly.

"I don't... I don't know what to do," Shane continued. He wasn't normally this up front about his problems, but he was just so _scared, _and Marnie had the disadvantage of being one of the few people he could count on to put up with him. "She wants to keep it, but I can't... There's no way I can be a father. I can't be the husband she needs. Or deserves..." He trailed off miserably.

"Shane, it's not a question of whether you deserve her or not. She chose you. Out of all the eligible young men in the valley, she chose _you. _She sees something in you that you can't. She believes in you. And I know Aliyah. She doesn't believe in things unless she's seen proof. If she thinks you can do it, then I know you can."

Shane took a deep breath, mulling over Marnie's words in the silence that stretched between them. He didn't believe in much, but he did believe in Aliyah. Everything she'd told him he could do, he had done. He'd gone sober, gone to therapy, started a flourishing egg business. He'd never believed he could do any of that before Aliyah told him he could. And now she was telling him he was going to be a father. Well, he didn't really have any evidence to suggest she was lying to him. And past experience had shown that Aliyah only ever believed what was true. He knew he couldn't trust himself, but he could trust her. If she saw father material in him, then it must be there, even if he couldn't see it. He finally looked up at his aunt and gave her a tremorous smile.

"Thanks. I needed to hear that." Marnie smiled back.

"You know, it's okay to doubt yourself," she said. "But you shouldn't wallow in it. You should tell Aliyah how you feel. I'm sure that together, you can work it all out."

"Yeah...Okay. I'll...I'll head back now." He turned to leave, then stopped as something occurred to him. "Oh, um...Sorry to ask this, but could you maybe keep this between us? Just until Aliyah's ready to tell everyone?"

"My lips are sealed," Marnie promised. Shane sent her a grateful grin, then trudged back up the path towards the farm.

* * *

"Aliyah?" Shane crept into the farmhouse quietly, his voice little more than a whisper. There was no response. His heart sank into his stomach. Aliyah could have gone anywhere, and there was no telling when..._if_ she would be back. He shook the thought from his mind at once. She would be back. She always came back. She told him he could believe that. He closed the door behind him with a sigh and slipped his jacket off, throwing it over the back of the couch. He was about to collapse onto the sofa when he heard a shuffling in the bedroom. Heart rising back to its proper place in his chest, he went to investigate, finding Aliyah curled up on their messy bed, her back to the door. She was sniffling. His heart dropped right back down into his gut again with a crash.

"H-hey, Aliyah," he called softly. She froze, but didn't turn to acknowledge him. "Listen, I'm sorry." He walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, resting his hand on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to run out on you like that. You just...kind of startled me, that's all. But I'm here now, so we can... We can talk about it, if you want." There was a long moment during which she gave no indication that she had heard him. Finally, with a sigh, she sat up and turned to face him. His heart twisted where it was lying in his stomach at the sight of her wet cheeks and red-rimmed eyes. Aliyah _never _cried, no matter how hard things got. He never wanted to be the reason she did.

"I'm listening," she said calmly, though her voice was rough and nasally.

"Right..." Shane gulped. Gingerly, he took her hand in his. "Okay, here's the deal. You know me. You know how I see myself. When you told me I was going to have to be a father I... I got scared, because I didn't think I could be one. But I love you, and I trust you, and if you tell me that I'm going to raise a child with you, then that's what I'm going to do. I don't believe in myself, but I do believe in you. In us. I know if we're together, I can do this. If... If you still want me to." Aliyah sniffled again and rubbed her cheek.

"Of course I do," she choked, falling into him gracelessly. "I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else." Shane breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her dark, spicy-smelling hair. "I know it's going to be hard," she continued. "But I truly believe we can do this." Shane exhaled slowly and held her tighter.

"Then I do, too," he murmured.


	4. Imagine Many Poppies

**A/N: Moving on from our spot of angst, we have Elliot's chapter. I know he's a fan-favorite, so I hope I did him justice. Today's farmer is Elise (and yes, Elliot absolutely loves that their names are phonetically similar). According to my notes she is: Married to Elliot. A dreamer who is sometimes forgetful. Loves books, but she's not much of a critic, so she thinks even Elliot's worst is a masterpiece. Easily impressed. Loves poetry, especially of the sappy and sentimental variety.**

* * *

Elise cursed under her breath as the tip of her pencil snapped beneath the pressure she was putting on it. Elliot was only going to be out for a few minutes longer, and she needed this poem to be perfect. Truth be told, Elise was much more comfortable reading poems than writing them, but Elliot often told her that poetry was the highest form of communication, and the message she had to deliver certainly warranted the use of such a thing. Every time she stopped to check her work, though, she second-guessed herself. Her husband was the greatest wordsmith of the age. A man of his eloquence and calibre might be offended by the way she was butchering the language.

She scribbled on in spite of herself, too firmly fixed on her plan to back out. She would apologize to him afterwards. She had started out strongly enough, with a consistent theme and imagery, but as time and paper wore on, she began to lose traction. Finally, with a desperate glance at the clock on the wall, she scrawled the last three words at random, wincing as she beheld the way her poem rose in the splendor of adequacy, only to drop sharply into uninspired nonsense. Hopefully Elliot would figure it out quickly and then be too distracted to mull over just how awful the whole thing was.

She had barely finished dotting a period on the end when the door opened, and Elliot swept in like a crimson leaf on an Autumn breeze. Elise jumped to her feet nervously, and fiddled with the paper in her hands.

"All of nature sings today, my darling," he reported, sweeping her into his arms for a kiss. "My very soul throbs with inspiration! It's a good day for poetry."

"F-funny you should say that," Elise began. "I was just trying a bit of poetry myself."

"Really?" His eyes lit up like stars. "How marvelous! You must show me what you've come up with. For even the daily utterances of your lips are like sweet honey to the ear. I can only imagine that poetry from your hand will be like a shower of gold upon the mind!" Elise flushed cherry red. She was used to Elliot's extravagant brand of praise (and even quite enjoyed it), but he seemed to be particularly enthusiastic today.

"W-well," she stammered. "Here is is." She raised up the sheet of paper between them with a quivering hand. Elliot took it with a flourish and held it delicately, as though it was of enormous worth. It took him a moment to decipher her messy handwriting, though he was the closest anyone had ever gotten to being practically fluent in it. After a bit of concentrated squinting, the words reluctantly lept off the page to greet him.

_Imagine_

_Many_

_Poppies_

_Radiant_

_Enchanting_

_Garden_

_Noiseless_

_Autumnal_

_Negligence_

_Total._

He blinked. Then looked up at Elise. Then back down at the page. He cleared his throat as though preparing to speak, then fell silent again. Elise felt sweat begin to slide down the back of her neck.

"This is...very avant-garde," he said at last. "Unfortunately, I only have experience with interpreting classic poetry. I'm afraid the poetic meaning of this goes beyond my meagre understanding." Elise felt her heart plummet. He hadn't seen it. She had been counting on his enormous intelligence to spot the (frankly, rather obvious) message right away. She didn't have a plan for this. Elliot's brow furrowed as he scanned the page again. "Darling, the poppy isn't even an Autumnal plant. You taught me that."

"Could you read it again?" she blurted desperately. "Slowly? I think you might get the... the _poetic meaning_ if you just look at it a bit." Elliot glanced at her, sympathy hovering behind his gaze, then faithfully returned to the page.

The clock on the wall ticked on.

Elise was moments away from giving up and simply telling him, when Elliot's hand suddenly clenched around the paper and he drew one of his loud, exaggerated gasps that she was so fond of. His eyes darted back up to hers, sparkling with excitement.

"You..." he breathed. "You are with child?" Elise released her pent-up tension with a loud exhale, then smiled and nodded. Elliot gave a wordless shout, tossed the paper aside, and scooped her up, planting another kiss on her mouth. "This is fantastic! Beyond fantastic! My heart quivers like a... a... I don't even have words for it!" He sucked in another huge gasp. "My pen! I must find my pen! The world must know of our good fortune. I will write you a song. Nay, a sonnet. Nay, a _play! _As Yoba is merciful, I don't know if I have the artistry to fully communicate my joy! But for you, my love, and our child, I will bravely try!" Elise laughed as he darted to the kitchen drawer and frantically dug around for a writing utensil. He found one, bolted back to her, kissed her again, then sprinted across the living room. "Oh Muse, thy earthly form is Wife!" she heard him shouting in the next room.

Elise plopped down on the kitchen chair, suddenly exhausted. Elliot's bursts of enthusiasm were like happy little tornados that blustered through their home and her heart, leaving her beaming and very tired. She rubbed her stomach fondly.

"I forgot to tell him there's two," she realized. There was another joyous yell from their bedroom office as Elliot's creativity exploded onto paper. "Maybe I'll save that outburst for tomorrow."


	5. Diagnosis

**A/N: ****Now, I don't want you guys to get _too_ excited, but I've been thinking about adding a bonus chapter involving Krobus. I only have the rough idea so far, so I have no idea when or if it will be finished, but if that's something you guys want, let me know.**

**Moving on, Harvey's chapter was the most fun to write. I desperately wanted to include the infamous line "Honey, can't you tell? You're pregnant!" But I just couldn't find a way to work it into the dialogue naturally. Today's farmer is Rebecka: Married to Harvey. Closer to thirty than twenty. Tall and beautiful. Master swordswoman. A tad reckless, but only because she knows Harvey's there to patch her up. Loves to tease and fluster her husband. **

* * *

Harvey winced as Rebecka retched into the toilet for the third time. He held her long hair back and rubbed her shoulders, wishing he had something more encouraging to say than just, "That's it. Get it all out." After a few minutes, her system cleared itself out, and she leaned back against his arm with a groan.

"Feeling better?" he asked, reaching over to flush the toilet.

"Mm-hmm," she mumbled tiredly. "S'weird. I felt fine until just a minute ago."

"Some illnesses move faster than others. But at least it's over now." He reached under her arms and hoisted her to her feet, letting her lean heavily on him. He doubted she would have any difficulty standing. She was the strongest woman he knew. She could have food poisoning _and _a concussion, and she'd still be able to slay monsters. But she liked to be needy when she wasn't feeling well (though she'd vehemently deny it later), and he liked to nurse her, so he didn't say anything as he supported her back into the bedroom and eased her down on the edge of the bed. "It's probably just a stomach bug," he told her. "You should be fine after a little rest."

"Doesn't feel like one," she observed. "It came on so fast. I threw up in the mines last night, too, but I felt just fine afterwards."

"You were in the mines while you were _sick?_" Harvey gawked. "Rebecka!"

"I didn't _know _I was sick. Like I said, it came on really fast." There was a long pause as he glared at her in disbelief. "Though I guess in your defense, that does sound like something I would do..." she conceded. Harvey heaved a frustrated sigh. He brushed her bangs off of her forehead and laid the underside of his wrist against it.

"No fever," he murmured. "How odd."

"Great. Can I go now? I'm already feeling better and I need to feed the chickens." She moved to get up, and Harvey pushed her back down.

"No, you're not going anywhere until I've figured out what this is. I'll feed the chickens for you in a bit. You just stay right there." He moved to leave the room, stopped, and looked back at her. "_Stay,_" he reiterated sternly. Rebecka sat back down and crossed her arms with a huff. He came back a minute later with his medical kit, a stethoscope already looped around his neck. "Alright," he said brightly as he knelt down in front of her. "Let's have a look out you." He peered down her throat and, for good measure, stuck a thermometer under her tongue for a minute. He was attempting to listen to her heartbeat when he felt slender arms drape around his neck. Rebecka was trying to distract him. Unfortunately for him, she was very good at it.

"Hear that?" she murmured in a sultry tone. "It beats only for you." She cackled at the beet red blush that flamed up Harvey's cheeks.

"S-stop that," he stuttered. "I'm trying to work."

"You know you won't get an accurate reading. My heart always beats faster..." She leaned tantalizingly close, her lips brushing the shell of his ear as she whispered."...the closer you are."

"_Rebecka!_" Harvey blustered, gently pushing her back. "This is important!"

"Harvey, I'm _fine!_" she whined, crossing her arms again. "I want to go feed my chickens."

"Have you experienced any other symptoms besides vomiting?"

"Harvey!"

"_Have. You. Experienced. Any. Other. Symptoms._"

"Beyond annoyance?" she deadpanned. "Nothing." There was a pause. Harvey refused to move. "Well, actually..." She sighed in defeat. "I guess I've been feeling a little differently the past few weeks." Her husband perked up. "Not exactly off, but just...different."

"I see..." he murmured, his brow furrowing. He took off the stethoscope. "This may seem like an odd question, but... When did you last menstruate?"

"Why, Harvey! Shouldn't you at least buy me dinner first?"

"_Rebecka._"

"Just a joke. Um... Well, I actually can't remember. It's definitely been more than a month. More like two or three months, actually..." She trailed off, her gaze suddenly fixing on him. "Wait...is this...?" Harvey gave her a tentative smile.

"Flash vomiting, no menstrual cycle, and a general feeling of oddness? I'd have to do a blood test to be sure, but... Honey, I think you might be pregnant!"

"_Finally!_" Rebecka shrieked joyously, throwing herself off the bed at him. He caught her with a laugh and hugged her. A second later, his eyes suddenly widened.

"And you were in the _mines_ while you were expecting! Good _glory, _Rebecka!"

"Oh, is that not allowed?" she asked coyly, leaning back to look at him.

"'Not allowed?' It's _unthinkable! _There's a whole list of things you're not supposed to do when you're pregnant. And I'll bet you've been doing all of them!" He glowered at her accusingly. "Well, no more. I'm your doctor and this is my child and I'm ordering you to take it easy from now on!"

"Nah, I was thinking of visiting the Skull Caverns this afternoon."

"_Rebecka!_"


	6. Shifting Dreams

**A/N: This is technically the final chapter, though I still have ambitions to do a bonus chapter with Krobus. I actually really struggled with Alex's story until my mother (who sometimes acts as my creative sounding board) gave me the idea for the basic premise of this chapter. My older brother provided information on how professional sports work, which ultimately ended up being completely useless, because Stardew Valley (or at least Alex) does not seem to follow normal protocol when it comes to going pro. So...just be aware that professional gridball absolutely does not work like real-world sports. Our Farmer today is May: Married to Alex. Small and slight, but could easily concuss people. The ultimate cheerleader who hands out encouragement like candy. Takes great pride in her husband. Feisty and quick-witted. Loves to make people smile.**

* * *

"May!"

"Alex!"

Both parties shouted each other's name at the same time as they simultaneously burst into the living room, and both yelled to the other, "_I have the most amazing news!_" There was an awkward pause, then an eruption of laughter.

"You go first, then," May giggled.

"You know the Tunnelers in Zuzu City?" Alex said excitedly. "One of their quarterbacks dislocated his shoulder, and they don't have any backup players. They're hosting tryouts next month, and anyone with highschool gridball experience can go. If I got picked for a backup position, I could play in their next game. I'd have my foot in the league and be on my way to going full pro!"

"Oh..." May faltered, her face falling into a blank expression. "That... That's great!"

"Yeah!" Alex enthused, too distracted to notice. "Now what's your news?"

"Oh. Um..." May chewed her lip for a moment. "It's, uh... Well, it's probably not as exciting as yours, but..." She mumbled something he couldn't quite catch.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant..."

"Oh..." Now Alex was faltering. Two warring emotions crashed together so suddenly that it felt like his heart actually jerked out of place. It didn't hurt, but it did make him feel...off, somehow. The excitement of the moment before had quickly died in its tracks. Suddenly the air between them was weighted. "That... Wow, honey, that's great."

"Yeah." There was a heavy silence.

Neither of them wanted to say what this meant. They had never _not _wanted to have children. It had just always seemed like a faraway event in the future. They had been operating under the assumption that it would happen at a convenient time, maybe after May had expanded their business enough to start bringing in hired help. The fact was, there was no way May could raise a child if Alex went pro now. The farm was busier than ever, and the bulk of the work fell to her. Alex helped out where he could, but he couldn't tell a bean sprout from a weed, and no matter how much he fed them, the chickens persisted in hating him with a vengeance, for unfathomable reasons. The responsibility of caring for a child at home would have to go to Alex. But if he achieved his goal of playing gridball as a professional, he would be away from home for long periods of time, perhaps even entire seasons, and they couldn't afford to put the farm on hold for that long.

"I... uh..." Alex stammered. "...What should we do?" May looked up at him with a conflicted gaze.

"I... I want you to go pro," she decided hesitantly. "That's been your dream since you were little, long before you married me, and I don't want to take that away from you."

"What about the baby?" he asked, wondering why his heart was sinking. Shouldn't he be happy that his wife was supporting him in his goals?

"I'll manage," she said stubbornly. "I'll have to take some maternity leave, but after that, I can keep it in a sling while I work. Babies... Babies are probably pretty low-maintenance, if you think about it, right? They mostly just sleep and eat."

"I wouldn't know," Alex told her bluntly. "But what are you going to do when it gets older? I mean, I'll be home sometimes, but there's no telling how long I'll be able to stay, if this pans out for me."

"Leah loves little kids. I'm sure she'd be happy to help out. And I can pay her in food and lumber, so it won't hurt our finances too much."

"It shouldn't be Leah's responsibility to raise my kid," Alex said uncomfortably.

"...What are you saying?" May asked quietly. "That you won't go?"

"...No?" His answer sounded too much like a question. "I-I don't know. I want to go, but..." The shift he'd felt in his heart had yet to correct itself. Suddenly his old dream wasn't alone in his mind. The microscopic life inside May's belly was scuffling with Alex's age-old vision of glory on the playing field. And if he didn't know any better, he'd say the baby had the upper hand in the fight.

"Alex, you've been training for this for years," May argued, still looking rather conflicted herself. "You're a brilliant athlete, and you're good at handling pressure. You were _made _to play gridball." There was a long silence. Alex shifted nervously, wishing his heart would pick just one emotion to feel and commit to it. "Look, this is a lot of information that came up all of a sudden," May said. "And you shouldn't make a decision this big right away. Take some time to think about it. Just know that whatever you choose, I'll be rooting for you..." She patted her stomach. "...We both will."

* * *

Alex couldn't sleep that night.

He lay on his back, staring up at the dark ceiling, listening to May's cute little snores. This should be an easy choice for him. He didn't know anything about children. He belonged on the gridball field, earning fame and money to bring home to his little wife. His child would be able to say that their dad was the best player in the famous Zuzu City Tunnelers. They would probably grow up dreaming of following in his footsteps.

The footsteps that had taken him away from his family in the first place.

He groaned quietly and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Why was this so _hard? _He just had to pick a path and stick with it. That was easy enough, right? He rolled out of bed and snuck out to the living room, where he booted up their ancient artifact of a computer. After ten minutes, the old thing was finally awake and able to connect to the internet. He searched for Zuzu City's public transit system and found the bus that came to Stardew Valley. It was scheduled to make a trip out here the day before the tryouts. Tickets were only five hundred gold. His mouse hovered above the button that would order his ticket.

Without much thought, he found himself leaving the computer and going back into the bedroom, where he looked down at his tiny spouse. She was curled up like a little cat, one arm lying tenderly over her stomach. Her nose twitched and she hummed in her sleep. She shifted, her arm curling tighter around her middle. Alex stared at her for a minute. He reached out and brushed her bangs off her face, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her temple. He left the room silently and went back to the computer.

His cursor moved away from the purchase button. He closed the browser and shut off the computer. He went back to bed, feeling a small sting of disappointment, yet also a lightness of heart he had not expected. He spooned up to May, wrapping his arms around her stomach and burying his face in her shoulder. He had made his choice. The old dream was dying, replaced by visions of family and home, and an idyllic lifestyle he'd never considered before. He smiled against May's shoulder.

It would take some getting used to, but he would love this new dream just as much as the old.

* * *

**And that's a wrap! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my story. Whether you've been following it since "Coffee Break," or only discovered it today, your interest in this story is immensely appreciated, and you yourself are an amazing, valuable person!**

**Also, now that I've properly buttered you up, here's a shameless plug! During the writing process for "Bun in the Oven," I ended up with a lot of little Sebastian x Laura fluff pieces on the side that I decided to put into a collection here. So if you, like myself, are a fan of Stardew Valley's resident edgelord frog-dad, you can go check out "Rabbit's Wool," which was published just this morning.**

**Love you all,**  
**-Niki**


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